Machine for tapping mains, &amp;c.



J. M. HILL.

MACHINE FOR TAPPING MAINS, (im. APPLICATION FILED MAY 1a, 1911.

, Patented NOV. 26, 1912.

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TED sra'rns ramt@ @WWE JOI-IN M. HILL; l F- TDHINS'LOVFN, PENNSYLVANIA.

MACHINE Fon TAPPING MAINS, sw.

To all whom' it may concern: Be it known that I, JonN M, HiLL, a citizen of the United States,resid1ng 1n the city of Johnstown, inthe county of Cambria and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Tapping `lllains,'$zc.; and I do hereby declareV the following to be a full,

clear, and exactvdescription' of the invention, vsuch as will venable others skilled lin the art to which it appertains to make and use the same. invention relates to j improvements 1n machines formaking openings in' service mains, pipes,'tanks or similar constructions and providing small but eliicient connectlons thereto.

One of the objects of my'invention is to provide va machine for tapping water, gas, steam, oil or other pipes, `andl the like, and making branch connections therefrom, or

thereto, without the necessity of shutting olf the pipe to betapped, which would interfere with the service of the same throughout the. district where the connection is to bemade. 'y' Another improvement in my device 1s the manner in which I form; and mount the driving worm land driven worm wheel, which enables them at all times to be in mesh while raising and lowering the drill and the main, thel main being shown in cross section. .Fig 2 is a vertical section taken on the lineII-'II of Fig. l showing parts in elevation.- Fig., 3 is..a front' elevation of thepilot drill. ,F.igxl is an end elevation ofthe pilot drill; Fig. 5 is a side elevationY of the samefan'd Fig. 6"is Va detailview of the pivoted 1in-ger. A-

Referring lto the various characters `of reference upon the drawings 1 indicates the main upon whichfl mounta saddle 2 having its lower face concaved to conform with the contour of the main or pipe vas ail-,3,

with an annular groove 4j half-round in cross i Specification of Lett-ers Patent.y i Application filed May 1s, 1911. serial No. 27,949

lor connected to, 'the' saddle,

'casing 13 of 'my center of same.

Patented Nov. 26,1912.

section thereon, for the receptionof packing. Ub'olts 5 pass under the main, ends screw-threaded and extending upwardly through holes 'in the outwardly extendingflanges 6 on the saddle 2 Iand vided with nutson the outer ends of said Ufbolts 5, which securely .clamp the two to.- gether, while lthe annular packing ring which may be composed-.of rubber, composition, soft metal, or any 'other uitable substance, actsv as a gasket to preent.leakage.'l

The branch pipe 7 formed i `tegra'l'with,V

lextends' outwardly and has a flange 8 around its outer having their pro? edge to whichis bolted or otherwise secured,

the corresponding flange of'a gate valve casing 9, 1

The separator .or has alower flange l1 bolted to the upper flange of-the gate valve casing in a manner similar to that of the branch pipe, and is provided with an upper flange 12 of slightly larger diameter,`to which'is bolted the base tapping machine, which has a gland in 'its center as indicated at 141,

through which a drill stock passes as shown.

Y The numeral 15 indicates the yoke or supporting frame, which is of general U-shape in cross section, and inverted so that its ends, which are hanged, are secured to the base casting 13 and the npper. flange 12 of the separator vor extension coupling 10 by means of the bolts '16. A hole through the arched central portion of the yoke or frame is screw threaded intern in this is an annular sleevelS, provided with hand rods 19 at its upper end. The outer periphery of said sleeve 18 is threaded and serves as a feedvscrew to raise and `lower the drill stock 20 which passes. through the A collar 21 is .the sleeve 18 and is adjustably screwed to the drill stock 2O by means of the set bolts 22. An elongated worm-wheel 23 is attached to the drill-stock 2O under the sleeve 18 by means of the set bolts 24. The drivmounted on',` or formed integral therewith: which mesheswith the warm-wheel 23. and is mounted in bearings o1.' either side of the yoke or supporting frame 15..- The ends of the shaft 25 are squared tc receive the crank arms27 for operatiiigthe tapping machine.

placed on thetop end ofv extension coupling 1.0

9o ally as shown at 17;

ing shaft 25 is provided with a worin 2G i The drillestock 20 has its upper end squared as shown at 28 upon which one of the crank arms 2 may be p iaced to turn the drillstock direct, if desired. A milling cutting tool'29-1s attached to the lower end of the drillstock having its' external diameter substantially the'same as the interior lof the is a pilot drill attached to the lower end of the drill-stock in the center of the milling tool and extending a short distance .beyond the same in orde'r to pierce the center of the section ofthe main or pipe to be cut out before the milling tool begins the opto its no rmal position, andl will thereby vretain the' severed disk of the main or pipe. sect-ion after it has. been cut out by the mill# eration of cutting out the disk section. A' finger 31 having its outer edge rounded, is pivotally riveted or bolted to the pilot drill 30 a'sindicated at 32. vThe recess 33 has ahorizontal shelf portion 34: upon which the finger 31 normally rests, and also has inclined rear edge 35 as' shown. The rounding of the outer curved end of the finger 31 prevents it from vcutting or sticking in the wall ofthe drilled hole. With this construction, While the pilotdrill is passing through the Wall of the main or pipe, the-outer end of the finger 31 Will swing upward and back- Ward -uiitil it comes incontact with the rear inclined edge 35 where it will remain until the end of the pilot drill has passed through the'side of the main far enough'to allow the finger' to fall by gravity, when it will drop ing tool.

Having thus rgiven a description of my I will now describe its operation as follows The saddle 2, the gate valve casing 9, the separator-or extension coupling lQ-and the base casting 13 to which my tapping machine'Wi-thits various parts on the drill-stock between the collar 21 and lthe worm-Wheel' 23. As the drill-,stock continues tobe lowered the pilot drill 30 pierces the main l, the finger 31 swings upward and backward until it approaches the. inclined edge 35 of the recess where it will remain until after the pilot drilly .has passed thy oughfthe main a sufficient distance to reease thenger when it will fall to a horizontal position, or at rightl angles to the 'drill axis, inside the main. As the drillstock continues to be fed forward the inilling tool comes in contact with the main and being advanced,

severs the disk portionV from the main, while the fingeron the pilot I drill retains thesevered disk and prevents lit from falling within the main. It will .be

noticed that as the drill-stock is advanced. the worm-wheel will alsobe advanced, asit is rigidly secured to the stock by set bolts, l but on account of itsrbeing elongated, the

worm 26 will always be .in mesh with the worml-Wheel, and this construction, which is simple. and efficient, forms a particular feature -of my invention.

After the ldisk portionhas' been cut from the main 1 the.

set bolts 24 ofthe worm-wheel are-loosened,

until the milling-tool and pilot drill with disk attachedpare Within the separator or extension coupling 10. The valve within the casing 9 is then closed, -and the bolts which unite the separator. or extensionA coupling 10`with the upper iange of ythe valve casing, may' be taken out andthe '7'5 which will allow the drill-stock to be raisedtapping machine removed. After this is done a branch pipe orA connection is secured to the outstanding flange of the valve casing 9`ai1d the operationis. finishedvv in-so4far as theuse of my tapping machine is' concerned. The saddle and attached valve are left on the main and form part of the permanent connection, which issmaller and neater. than customary heretofore.

Although I have shown and described my improvements in considerable detail, I do not wish to be limited 'to the exact and specific details ,shown and described, but may'use such substitutions, 'modifications or equivalents thereof, as are embraced within the scopeof my invention or as pointed out in the claim.' i

'Having thus described my invention, what Iy claim and desire lto secure by Letters Patentis: y In a machine for tapping mains, a cylindrical drill-stock, cutting devices attached to the inner end thereof, an elongated worme -wheel aXiallymounted on said drill-stock,

a` revoluble worin in constant mesh with ,said worm-wheel, *an annular externally worin and worm-wheel are In testimony lwhereof I hereto affix my.

signature inthe presence of two witnesses..

Witnesses: Y

ELMER SEAVEY, ROBERT A. BEERS. 

